


Masquerade!

by a1_kitkat



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Blind Date, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Costume Parties & Masquerades, M/M, Malex, Mistaken Identity, Not Beta Read, Post Episode 1x13, Post-Canon Fix-It, Reconciliation, Slow Dancing, michael and maria have already broken up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 22:18:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18882358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: Kyle takes Alex to a masquerade ball to set him up with a co-worker but things don't go according to Kyle's plan





	Masquerade!

Michael was sitting at the counter of the Crashdown with the remnants of his burger still on the plate while he picked at his fries. The door opened and he immediately looked over to see who it was but turned back to his food when he realized it was just Liz. She made her way over to him and sank down in the stool next to his.

“What’s wrong, Mikey?” She asked as she reached for a fry.

“You know what’s wrong” he snapped at her.

“You made your bed, you’re the one who has to lay in it”

“Don’t remind me”

 

Liz placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. It was difficult to feel bad for him after he’d done wrong by both her best friends, especially since neither of them were speaking to each other anymore. Despite Michael and Maria’s relationship being so short lived, the rift was still there between Alex and Maria.

“What’s with the garment bag?” Michael asked her, trying to change the subject.

“Nothing now” Liz sighed “Kyle asked me to go to a work thing with him so I had this dress altered but now I had to cancel on him because I have a skype interview that can not be rescheduled”

 

“So Doctor McSexy  _ still _ can’t find himself a date” Michael chuckled. He liked when karma came after someone who wasn’t him.

“It’s fine” she waved him off. “He was actually relieved because he really wants to take Alex”

 

Michael’s entire bravado crumbled at these words.

“Kyle and  _ Alex _ ?” Michael choked on his name.

“Oh, no” Liz laughed “not like  _ that _ . Kyle has this really hot Doctor friend that he wants to set Alex up with since he’s…” she trailed off a bit “you know, single now”

Michael nodded his head and tried to hide his disappointment.

“So trust Kyle to stick his nose in where it’s not needed”

 

Liz slid off the seat and got to her feet.

“A masquerade ball is just what the Doctor ordered” she told him. 

“Alex Manes is going to a masquerade ball with Kyle Valenti?” Michael had to say the words out loud.

“Hey, you left Alex hanging; he has as much right to move on as you do”

 

She turned on her heel and marched away; Michael watched her go, her words lingering in the air between them. He hated that she was right but maybe it wasn’t too late for him to do something about it.

 

**-**

 

Alex stood before the mirror, giving himself a once over and already wishing he could think of literally any plausible excuse to not go to this thing but he’d promised Kyle he’d go with him and Alex was a man of his word.  His costume wasn’t overly extravagant; dressed head to toe in black with his hair very mussed. He secretly liked the cape which Kyle assured him symbolised wings. Alex was taking a lot on faith by allowing Kyle to select his attire for the evening.

The doorbell rang so Alex took a deep breath and made his way to the front door. Kyle was standing on the front step and  _ damn _ he looked good. It never ceased to amuse Alex that Kyle was still single. He was a very good looking guy and, despite his behavior in high school, he’d grown into an extremely deserving guy. If he were gay, Alex would  _ definitely  _ want to hit that. But Kyle was a million percent straight and their relationship was purely friendly.

Kyle was dressed impeccably in a stunning suit that would likely turn many heads tonight. There were red accents on the suit and Kyle was holding a mask in his hand.

 

“Wow” Alex said in greeting. Kyle blushed.

“Trust the gay guy to notice” Kyle joked with him.

“Is that… Are you…?”

Kyle laughed.

“Fuck, I really thought that was just a stereotype” he replied.

“Can I help it you’re dressed as a character from like the only musical I’ve actually seen?”

“So uh are you ready?”

 

Alex stepped outside, pulled the door closed behind him and laughed when he saw Kyle offering his arm to him.

“May I escort you to the limo?” Kyle asked.

“The limo?” Alex did a double take.

 

Sure enough, the car parked across his drive was a limousine. They made their way down the front walk and Kyle held the door open for Alex who climbed in and settled on the long seat, resting his leg across the seat.

“You uh you okay?” Kyle asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine” Alex assured him.

“Did you want your crutch? I can run back in and grab it?”

“And ruin the effect of my costume?”

 

Kyle laughed. He climbed in then pulled the door closed. The divider separating the driver from them was up. Alex frowned, it wasn’t like they needed privacy or anything. Alex turned his attention to his friend who was playing with his mask.

“Can I see it?” Alex asked him.

“Sure” Kyle handed the mask to Alex who simply chuckled.

“I meant on you!”

“Oh”

 

Kyle reached up and affixed the mask which covered half his face. Alex immediately started humming the Phantom of the Opera theme so Kyle yanked it off. He nodded to the opposite seat and Alex saw the box. He picked it up and opened to reveal a stunning black feathered mask.

“Wow” Alex gasped. “It’s beautiful, Kyle”

“Try it on” Kyle urged him.

 

Alex carefully removed the mask from the box, ran his fingers over the feathers then he slipped the mask over his face and smiled at Kyle.

“How do I look?” Alex asked.

“Stunning” Kyle assured him.

He reached up to take it off but Kyle stopped him.

“Wait!” He pulled out his phone to take a photo and Alex blushed.

“Come on, selfie!” Kyle declared.

“Selfie? What are we, twelve?”

 

Kyle slipped his mask on too then moved to sit next to Alex. Faces close together, Kyle held up the phone and snapped a photo. He showed it to Alex who had to admit, to himself, they did look good. He wondered how many people were going to assume he and Kyle were together.

“So confession time, Kyle” Alex began while Kyle was forwarding the photo to Liz. “Why did you really bring me along tonight?”

“I told you” Kyle said “I didn’t want to go alone, it’s embarrassing and Liz cancelled on me”

“But why did you ask me? You could’ve asked Maria… she’d look better in a costume”

“ _ You _ look stunning”

“Aren’t you worried that people might… talk?”

“Talk?”

“You show up with a guy on your arm, they’re gonna assume-”

“They can assume whatever the fuck they want… but this ball is a culmination of all the hospitals and medical centres in surrounding areas so there is going to be hundreds of people there. I doubt anyone will notice two guys walking in together”

 

*

 

The one person who did notice was the passenger in the front seat of Kyle’s limo.  Michael had seized his opportunity to test out his own new powers by influencing the limo driver to give him a lift. Being dressed in a suit and wearing a mask was proof enough that he was going to the same destination.

Michael peered through the tinted window and watched as Kyle offered his arm to Alex. The two men made their way towards the entrance and they made quite the pair. Even with their faces obscured, heads turned to look at them.  Michael handed the driver a $20 bill then climbed out and made his way along the path after them. He knew he had no reason to feel jealous; there was absolutely nothing going on between Alex and Kyle but  _ damn _ they made one fine looking pair. 

He affixed his mask then reached down to smooth his suit. Keeping enough distance between them was easy but his eyes were only focused on Alex. When he reached the door, he once again tested his mind influencing power to get inside but once there, he froze.  Standing at the top of the stairs, the room spread out before him in a mass of masks and colors. He’d been very paranoid that his grey, silver suit would stand out in the crowd but now as he stared at the vibrant colors, he was suddenly worried he would lose Alex in the throng and never find him again.

Michael moved along the banister, his eyes surveying the crowd. There were so many people; couples dancing together, groups enjoying drinks. Servers moved through the throng, all wearing masks too yet his eyes never stopped. They hadn’t been that far ahead of him so they couldn’t have gotten too far away but there was so many people.  He lingered at the top of the stairs, continued to watch the crowd. Their costumes should have been easy to spot but the lighting was low and no one was standing still long enough.

He stayed too long; a member of security approached as he was lingering so he apologized and insisted he was merely trying to find a friend in the crowd. Then he found them. At the far end of the room, Kyle was holding a chair out for Alex. Michael shoved past the security staff and down the stairs. His own costume attracted a few looks, mostly women but his eyes were on his prize.

Michael cut through the crowd until he reached the tables. He was thankful there was no pre-arranged seating so he was able to slide into a chair at the very next table; his seat backed onto Kyle’s so he was able to eavesdrop on their conversation.  Alex was fidgeting with his mask until Kyle reached over and grabbed his hand, assured him that he looked good. Michael clenched his hand into a fist;  _ he _ wanted to be the one to tell Alex how amazing he looked. 

He grabbed a drink as a server passed by and he leaned back in his seat but their conversation wasn’t anything exciting. The other attendees tried to engage Michael but he ignored them. Luckily the food was served soon after so conversation became minimal. This was followed by a speech or two and an explanation as to the point of this evening but Michael didn’t care. Couples began to move to the dance floor and Michael noticed an influx of people approached the next table. 

Alex declined the first two women to ask him, flashed his prosthetic as an excuse but that didn’t stop a man in a jester costume asking too.  Michael watched as Kyle leaned closer to Alex.

“You can’t say no to everyone” Kyle said to him.

“Dancing wasn’t part of the agreement, Kyle” Alex replied.

“Okay, then I have a confession to make” Kyle began. Michael’s eyes opened wide in shock; if Kyle was about to make a move on Alex, he was definitely going to intervene.

“The real reason I asked you to come with me tonight is to introduce you to a friend of mine”

“Really?” Alex sounded confused. “I mean… Kyle, I uh it means a lot that we’re friends enough that you’re not ashamed to introduce me to your friends”

“No” Kyle chuckled “I uh don’t want you to meet him for me, I meant for you”

“For me?”

“He and I did our residency together but when I came back to Roswell, he went to Florida and is in paediatrics… I uh wanted to set you two up awhile ago but the timing was never right”

“And he lives in Florida?”

“He’s up for a transfer to Roosevelt, that’s only an hour away”

“Kyle… I…”

“Just promise me, when a guy in a fox mask asks you to dance you’ll say yes”

“Kyle-”

“Just one dance!”

 

Michael reached up and touched the mask on his own face. The suit and mask he’d borrowed from Isobel was poetic justice. Now all he needed was to get rid of Kyle for a few minutes. He closed his eyes and used his powers.

 

*

 

Alex wanted to say no but Kyle wasn’t asking much; just one dance and he was more than capable of such a thing.

“You want to set me up with a Doctor?” Alex asked.

“Yes” Kyle confessed.

“Does he know about…”

“Your leg? Yes”

“And he’s okay with it?”

“It’s not like you’re paraplegic” Kyle paused, closed his eyes “that was insensitive, I apologize”

“Dude that  _ was _ pretty rude”

“I meant, he’s a nice and respectful guy. He understands what you’ve been through, what you’ve lost”

“Just one dance?” Alex asked.

“Yes, guy in a fox mask”

“Okay, fine; one dance”

 

“I have to pee” Kyle suddenly declared.

“Okay” Alex frowned.

“I’ll be right back, excuse me”

 

Kyle got to his feet and disappeared into the crowd. Alex watched him go then picked up his glass and downed the rest of his champagne. He looked around to survey the crowd. The costumes were over the top, vibrant, some were filled with color, others were dressed head to toe in white or, like himself, in black.  He kept his eyes peeled for signs of a fox and tried to ignore the fact Kyle had purposely dressed him as a swan to entice his friend who was disguised as a fox, one of very few predators of swans. Perhaps he should play hard to get, let this fox think Alex is his prey then turn the tables on him?

 

Alex was looking around for one of the wait staff, hoping for a refill on his drink when his eyes rested on a man dressed in a grey suit with the mask of a fox obscuring his face. His hair was slicked back, face clean shaven and he was wearing gloves but his height and build were on par with Alex’s.  The silver fox moved forward and held his hand out to Alex in silent invitation. Alex had made a promise to Kyle so he accepted the man’s hand and took hold of it then he allowed him to lead him to the dance floor.

To his surprise, the mystery man didn’t meet his gaze but led him to a dimly lit spot on the dance floor and wrapped his arm around his waist, pulled Alex to him and held his body close to his own. He also took Alex’s hand in his and brought it up, placed his hand on his shoulder so Alex found himself almost touching the man’s neck. When he tried to look into his eyes, the lighting was too dark to make anything out. There was a familiarity to him though; the way the mystery man’s arms held him in a safe and protective embrace. It went against his stance but he found himself closing his eyes and surrendering to him.

They moved slowly together in time with the music. Alex’s head resting upon his shoulder, face buried in his neck. The feathers of his mask must’ve been aggravating the man’s skin but he didn’t seem to mind. Alex wanted to say something, to even introduce himself but words and names weren’t necessary. Their bodies came together perfectly, like they belonged together, they wanted to be together.  The song ended and Alex knew he could walk away, he’d kept his word to Kyle and had completed his obligation but the man didn’t release him nor did Alex attempt to leave his arms.

Another slow ballad began so they continued their romantic swaying. He felt the man’s gloved hand under his cape, resting upon the small of his back and Alex lowered his hand to rest it upon the man’s chest. Was it his imagination or could he feel his heart beating beneath his fingers. A gloved hand closed over his and he tilted his head back to look up at the fox mask. The man’s lips were quietly singing the words of the song and Alex couldn’t help smiling. It reminded him of Guerin…

 

*

 

When Kyle finally found his way back to the table, Alex was gone and for a brief moment he panicked but quickly caught himself. He knew his friend wouldn’t have left without him so his eyes started to scan the dance floor but there were a lot of couples dancing very close together and with their masks it was almost impossible to find a familiar face.

He turned to a fellow staff member who was still sitting with his wife at the table.

“Did uh did you see where my friend went?” He asked.

“He went to dance with some guy” the wife told him.

“Some guy?”

“A silver fox”

 

Kyle nodded in understanding then turned back to the dance floor. He didn’t stay put, started to patrol the edge of the floor, his eyes peeled for the black swan and the silver fox. The crowd parted and he saw them or at least he thought it was them. They were dancing very, very intimately. He frowned; Neither Alex nor Diego were exactly the one night stand kind of guys but the closeness these two had right now was extremely unexpected.

A waiter walked by so Kyle grabbed a glass of wine and downed the entire contents in one gulp. Maybe this was a trick they were playing on him? He wouldn’t put it past Alex to do something like that; come on strong and extreme to scare Diego away in retaliation for Kyle trying to set him up. He was still watching his two friends when he saw them both shift to look at each other then, at the exact same time, they leaned closer and their lips came together in an electrifying kiss.

The glass slipped from Kyle’s hand and smashed on the ground but the music was loud so not many people heard, especially not the couples on the dance floor. Kyle knelt down to pick up the pieces but a staff member advised him not to. He took a step back then another and stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  Kyle turned and found himself looking at a man in a fox mask. The eyes staring back at him were Diego’s.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m late” Diego shouted over the music.

“Wait, what?” Kyle was shocked for a second, third time this evening.

“Where’s your friend?”

 

Kyle’s eyes darted from Diego, in his fox costume, to Alex on the dance floor in the arms of another fox and his heart sank. He looked back at Diego, apologetically then he put his arm around him and started to lead him towards the open bar.

“I’m sorry, man” Kyle apologized to him. “I guess I was wrong”

“He didn’t want to meet me?” Diego asked.

“I uh didn’t tell him about you”

“Kyle! You don’t just spring a blind date on someone”

He ordered them drinks and handed one to his friend.

“I was wrong about him, Diego” Kyle admitted “he’s not over his ex and probably never will be”

“Are you sure?”

 

From their new spot by the bar, Kyle could see Alex and Michael dancing together. He directed Diego’s attention their way.

“You see the two guys making out over there?” Kyle asked him.

“You mean the swan and the fox?” He replied “I can’t tell if the fox is eating the swan or vice versa”

Kyle sighed. “And that’s the true definition of them as a couple”

“Damn”

“Like I said, I’m sorry” Kyle repeated “but the right guy is out there for you”

“You’ll find the right girl someday too”

They clinked glasses while both continued to watch Alex and Michael.

“We should be so lucky to find a love like that”

 

*

 

On the dance floor, Michael continued to hold Alex in his arms kissing and claiming him in every way possible. Neither had said a word yet; words weren’t needed between them. Sure, there was a lot they needed to talk about but it could wait. 

Alex’s hand was in Michael’s slicked back hair, fingers grasping the strands and attempting to curl them.

Michael’s hand was resting in the small of Alex’s back, holding him close so their bodies were pressed so tightly together.

 

The other couples around them couldn’t tell where the fox ended and the swan began. Even when the music became faster, more energetic, the couple stayed in their own perfect bubble. Neither wanted to break the embrace, to ruin their moment, the have the harsh pain of reality separate them again. They stayed on the dance floor, together, all night. When Alex’s leg began to hurt, Michael supported him both physically and telekinetically. Until the music stopped, the lights came up and their masks came off.

He reached out and removed Michael’s mask while Michael gently removed his. The illusion now completely broken, they simply stared at each other.

Michael looked so young and vulnerable, with his slicked back hair and his smoothly shaven face; Alex’s heart melted.

Alex looked absolutely stunning with his fine hint of stubble and his lengthening hair in a messy, unruly styled way. Michael’s breath caught in his throat.

 

“I don’t look away, Guerin” Alex whispered.

“I never look away” Michael replied as he placed his hand on Alex’s cheek. “Not really”

They each moved in perfect sync to bring their lips together in another deep kiss.

There were so many unasked and unanswered questions but there would be time for that later.

 

*

 

A single tap on his shoulder tore his attention away from Michael and Alex found himself staring at a very un-amused Kyle who was glaring at Michael.

“Kyle” Alex gasped, having completely forgotten his friend had brought him here… to meet his friend.

 

“How did you even get in here, Guerin?” Kyle asked Michael.

“The door staff were… easily influenced?”

“What  _ exactly _ are you doing here?” 

“A grand gesture”

“Well, you never were one to do stuff by halves”

 

Over Kyle’s shoulder, Alex could see a rather attractive guy, holding a fox mask and realized this was who Kyle intended him to dance with tonight.

“Uh hi” Alex began, he extended his hand to him “I’m Alex”

“Hi, I’m Diego” he replied with a knowing smile. He then turned to Michael. “You must be Michael?”

“I must be” Michael replied, also shaking Diego’s hand.

 

“Well, this is awkward” Alex blushed.

“Don’t be embarrassed” Diego assured him “if I had a guy kiss me like that, I’d never let him go”

“I won’t” Michael interrupted as he turned to look at Alex “I’ll never let him go ever again”

Alex kissed him.

 

“Yo, Valenti” Michael looked to Kyle. “I need a ride back to Roswell”

“Says who?” Kyle argued.

“Says me” Alex replied “he’s coming home with me tonight”

“Oh am I?”

“Yeah, you are, Foxy, you are”


End file.
